Life's A Beach

If it's beaches you're after I have put together a small selection of beaches in East Africa and India. There is definitely something for everybody. East Africa is famous for palm fringed bays, white sands, turquoise seas and India with its popular laid back atmosphere with stunning archipelago islands and Temple beaches.

There is so much on offer for all ages and from the more popular tourist beaches or beaches that are not on the tourist trail where its just you and the odd coconut. There are many water sports on offer from snorkelling, kayaking, scuba diving, jet skiing, windsurfing, parasailing, water skiing, wake-boarding, kite surfing and catamaran sailing. If that's all a bit too busy and you prefer relaxation opt for a slow walk along the beach or just relaxing in a hammock with a good book, you can find what suites you. 

 Life's A Beach

 East African Beaches
   

 Diani Beach, Kenya  

 Diani Beach is located 20 miles from Mombasa with its crystal clear sea, fine white sand beach surrounded by forest makes it a popular tourist destination, There is so much on offer from Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park & Reserve, Colobus Monkey Conservation Sanctuary, Slave Caves,  Shimba Hills National Reserve, Coral Mosques, Africa Pool and Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest. Diani Beach has a large coral reef so Snorkelling and scuba diving is superb. Some of the marine life you can encounter are Trigger fish, Moray eels, Angelfish, Butterfly fish, Groupers, Rays,  Parrotfish, Wrasses, Green sea Turtles, Whale shark fish, Scorpionfish, Damselfish, Snappers, Starfish, Sea cucumbers, Sea spiders, Hawksbill Turtles, Pufferfish, Dolphins and Humpback whales. Activities to be found are Kitesurfing, Kayaking,Wind Surfing, Stand up paddling, Glass boat tours, Jet-skiing and Sailing. There are plenty of beach shacks along the coast serving amazing fresh food, also people selling beachwear, wood carvings and other art work. 

 Lamu Archipelago, Kenya  

 Lamu Island is a UNESCO world heritage site and is part of the Kiunga Marine National Reserve. The park covers an area of 100 square miles with approximately 50 islands, with mangrove forest, coral reefs and sea grass which creates a sancturaury for Sea Turtles, Dugongs and nesting birds. The reefs are teaming with marine life so this makes a great snorkelling and diving location. The islands history dates back to the 14th century, an old Swahili settlement with traditional houses made from coral blocks. Lamu was on the main Arabian trading routes, trading in gold, spices, and slaves.  Arabs, Persians, Indians, and Europeans have all left their mark here which can be seen in the architecture and in the food. There are no cars on Lamu with only Donkeys and handcarts allowed. It has a very relaxed feel to the place and was a hippy hideaway in the 1960's. There's plenty to do and see like the Lamu Museum, Lamu Fort, Donkey Sanctuary, and the Swahili House Museum. The best way to explore some of the smaller islands around Lamu is by Dhow, a small sailing vessel visiting pristine beaches and isolated villages. 

 Fanjove Island, Tanzania  

 Fanjove Island is a private island with deserted beaches of pure white sand and turquoise sea. With 11km of preserved coral reef this island is just stunning and one of the best in East Africa. If you're looking for isolation and pure relaxation this is the island for you. Scuba diving here is some of the best you will find in the world. Some of the marine life you may encounter are Humpback Wales, Bottlenose Dolphins, Green Turtle, Whitetip Reef Sharks, Rays, Rainbow Runners, Honeycomb Moray Eels, Barracudas, Tunas, Bluefin Trevallies, Guitarfish, Triggerfish, Grunts, Marbled Electric Rays, Napoleon wrasse, and Groupers. The beach is an important nesting spot for migrating birds and Green Turtles. The water sports on offer include snorkelling, diving, fishing, dhow sailing, and kayaking. Bird watching is great here with Pied Kingfisher, Black-headed Weaver, Burchell's Coucal, Amethyst Sunbird, Madagascar Bee-eater, Diederik Cuckoo and the African Fish Eagle. Fanjove Island is in the high end price bracket and really doesn't come cheep with prices ranging from $1000 dollars person per night.

 Nungwi, Zanzibar, Tanzania  

 The Nungwi Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Island of Zanzibar, located at the north end of the island with a powder white sandy beach and crystal clear water. Nungwi Beach is popular with tourists and locals as the swimming here is quite safe. The Zanzibar Archipelago is surrounded by coral reefs which are great for snorkelling and scuba diving. There are great dive schools here which take you to some amazing dive spots like Leven Bank, Magic Reef, Turtle House and Tumbatu Island with over 450 species of fish such as lined Surgeonfish, Spotted Unicornfish, Painted Frogfish, orange-lined Triggerfish, Sunburst Butterflyfish, Blue-spotted Stingray, Harlequin Filefish, Yellow Boxfish and Emperor Angelfish. There are ten species of Dolphin, Sting and Manta Rays, Whale Sharks, Reef Sharks, Green Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle and the Olive Ridley Turtle. There is plenty to do on island Zanzibar like visiting Jozani Forest, The Old Fort, Darajani Market, Stone Town, Prison Island, The House Of Wonders and the Slave Museum. Zanibar is known as the Spice Island so the food here is an amazing mix of African, Middle Eastern, European and Indian so you really are spoilt for choice. Why not try Urojo also known as Zanzibar mix which seems to cover all flavours of the island.  Nungwi Beach is renowned for its vibrant night life with discos, bars and beach parties that go on through the night and can get busy at the weekends. 

 Bomani Beach Tanzania

 If you're after a more off  the beaten track location with beautiful white sand, clear blue water and palm fringed bays Bomani Beach is a traditional fishing village where the fisherman's boats lay side by side on the beach. This area is not over developed so there are not hordes of tourists. You will feel as though you're part of this local community. There are not many water sports on offer here and no speed boats as it's much more sedate. Travelling by Dhow is the best way to explore this area as you can be taken to unspoilt coral reefs with over 400 species of fish such as Triggerfish, Butterflyfish, Glassfish, Lionfish, Zebrafish, Leaffish, Batfish, Moorish Idols, Damselfish and Angelfish. You may also encounter Rays, Dolphins, Reef Sharks and Turtles. Bird watching is good here with Flamingos a common site as well as the Crab Plover, Palm-Nut Vulture, Northern Carmine Bee-Eater, Brown-Breasted Barbet, Common Scimitarbill, Purple-banded Sunbird, Pied Kingfisher, Southern Cordon-Bleu, Red-Billed Firefinch, Spectacled Weaver and African Fish Eagle. Other things to do in the area are to visit Mlingotini Village with its traditional way of life where music and dance is a big part of therir culture. Just up the coast is Bagamoyo which was once an important trading town trading ivory, ebony, copra and of course slaves where around 50,000 slaves went through the slave market. All that's left of this horrific trade are the ruins and a museum. From Bomani Beach you can walk to Kaole Ruins which will take about 2 hours, about 6 miles. The Kaola Ruins date back to the 13th century and consist of two mosques and 30 tombs.   

 India Beaches

 Varkala Beach, Kerala  

 Varkala is popular with backpackers and has bohemian feel to it. There are many holistic retreats around this area from meditation, yoga and the ancient natural Ayurvedic therapies for your body, soul and mind. Varkala beach sitting at the bottom of 15m red laterite cliffs is a busy beach with surfing, Jet Skiing, Parasailing and Banana Boat rides. You can soon find quiet spots if you walk for a few minutes north to Odayam Beach, a beautiful spot where you will find a fishing community. At the top of  the cliffs at Varkala beach is a vibrant hub of activity with restraunts, bars and the usual nick-nack shops. Other places to visit around Varkala are The Janardhana Swami Temple, The Sivagiri Pilgrimage Centre, Varkala Light House, Kappil Lake, Ponnumthuruthu Island, Anchuthengu and Anjengo Fort, The Vishnu Temple, Varkala Tunnel and The Janardhanaswsmy Temple. The backwaters can also be reached from Kappil Beach. 

 Gokarna Beach, Karnataka

 Gokarna is a small temple town dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is a backpacker area with a hippy feel with four great beaches here which are Kudle Beach, Om Beach, Half Moon Beach, and Paradise Beach, all connected either by tuktuk boat or by walking. It's an easy walk from Kudle Beach to Om Beach but from Om beach to Half Moon beach and Paradise Beach it's a bit more tricky with a small path which clings to the side of the cliff. You do need to take care on this path but you are rewarded with stunning quiet clean beaches. Beach life carries on at night with bonfires and people playing guitars. It has a real community feel and the beaches are surrounded by little shacks selling food and drink. This place has a laid back friendly atmosphere. Water sports found here are Jet Skiing, Banana Boat Rides, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Parasailing, Speed Boating, Snorkelling and Bumper Rides. This Temple town has over twenty temples the main ones being Sri Mahabaleshwara Swamy Temple, Maha Ganapathi Temple, Sri Bhadrakali Temple, Mallikarjuna Temple – Sri Ramachandrapura Math, Shree Someshwara Temple, Mahalasa Temple, Kotiteertha Temple, Shree Pattevinayak Temple, Shree Uma Maheshwar Temple and the Shree Kalbhairav Temple. Gokarna is known as one of the seven important Hindu pilgrimage centres in India and oozes spirituality. Other places of interest to visit around Gokarna include The Shiva Statue, Mirjan Fort, Yana, Koti Tirtha, and Shiva Cave. 

 Radhanagar Beach, Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island) , Andaman and Nicobar Islands  

 If you're after a real Robinson Crusoe island these Archipelago Islands in the Indian Ocean are as remote as you can get. Radhanagar Beach with a long stretch of white sand and crystal clear water surrounded by coral is teaming with marine life and is said to be one of the best in the world. There are 572 islands in the Archipelago and this group of islands are closer to Myanmar and Indonesia than India although being on Indian territory. Havelock Island is one of the few islands you're able to visit as the islands are inhabited by indigenous Sentinelese tribes. Scuba diving and Snorkeling here is some of the best in the world with over 500 different species of corals, several types of algae, sea grass meadows, Sponges, Sea lilies, Anemones, Snails, Clams, Crabs, Worms, Starfish, Shrimps, Lobsters, Sea cucumbers, Sharks, Green Turtle, Leatherback Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Dolphins, Dugong's and over 1400 species of fish Groupers, Snappers, Breams, Surgeonfish, Damselfish, Butterflyfish, Parrotfish and Clownfish to name but a few. Havelock Island is covered in forest with giant evergreen forests, tropical evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests and Mangrove forests. There are 2000 plus species of plants, 270 species of birds, Wild Boars, Feral Elephants, Salt Water Crocodiles, and Snakes. Govinda Nagar, the main village on the island is where you can find many bars and restaurants and shops. You can visit neighbouring islands such as Neil Island, Baratang Island, and Long Island by Ferry. 

   Mamallapuram Beach, Tamil Nadu  

 Mamallapuram Beach is famous for its Bhaskar Dutta (Shore Temple) built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. It a popular beach with tourist and locals are drawn here by rock sculptures and monuments.  This is one of the best surfing locations in India and a great place to learn to surf at one of the surf schools. Just 20 minutes down the coast there is the Covelong Point Surf Competition where surfers from around the world compete. Other water sports on offer here are Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Water Skiing, Wake Boarding, Knee Boarding, Kayaking, Speed Boat Rides, Banana Boat Rides, Double Tube Rides and Para-sailing. Other  thing to do around Mamallapuram are visiting Thirukadalmallai, Arjuna’s Penance, Pancha Rathas, Krishna’s Butterball, Dakshinachitra Museum, Cavern Temples, The India Seashell Museum, The Trimurti Cave Temple, Mahishamardini Mandapa, Varaha Mandapa, Krishna Mandapa and Ganesh Ratha. There are plenty of restaurants and shops in the area. Food here is fantastic why not try Sambar which is a vegetarian curry dish prepared with a tamarind-based broth, lentils, and vegetables. Sambar originates from Tamil Nadu and the dish is traditionally served with steamed rice or various Indian flatbreads. Mamallapuram is located in between Chennai and Ponducherry with plenty to do in this area if you want to venture away from the beach. Ponducherry is a former French colonial settlement with charming mustard-yellow colonial structures and is well worth a day trip.

 Agatti Beach, Agatti Island, Lakshadweep   

 Agatti Beach has a long stretch of pristine white sand and turquoise sea with a back drop of coconut palms. the island is approximately 3.7 miles long. Agatti Beach is famed for beautiful corals and sea turtles and is a favoured nesting site for the Green Turtle, Hawksbill, Leatherback and the Olive Ridley. You can often see the Turtles when diving or snorkelling around the coral reefs that surround the island. There are 70 species of corals,  41 species of Sponges, 603 species of fish which include Lion fish, Skipjack Tuna, Moorish Idol, Angelfish, Squirrelfish, Triggerfish, Goatfish, Wrasse, Butterflyfish and Tangs. There are at least 14 species of Cetaceans such as Risso’s Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Striped Dolphins, Spinner Dolphins, Cuvier’s beaked whales, Dwarf Sperm Whales, Short-finned Pilot Whales, Sperm Whales, False killer Whales, Pantropical spotted Dolphins, Pygmy Killer Whales, Killer Whales as well as Baleen Whales. You can also find Reef Sharks, Whale Sharks, Whitetip Sharks and Spotted Rays. The water sports on off on the island are scuba diving, wind surfing, snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing and sailing.  You can also visit some of the other islands in the Archipelago like Eiangaram, a tiny teardrop shaped Island,Thinnakara Island, Parali island and Kalpitty which is surrounded by a clear water lagoon. You can get to these deserted islands by boat.